Our surveyor Sam Boylett was called to the rescue by the owner of an art gallery and café in Sussex.
Rats had been damaging the frames containing artwork – grinding their teeth on the soft wood. Fortunately, they hadn’t damaged the actual artwork.
Sam found evidence of rat activity, including chewed carpets, in the top three levels of the building as well as other locations. The café is on the ground floor of the building and supplies are stored in the basement.
The letterbox by the front entrance had been chewed and there were smear marks caused by rats in an open drain in the basement.
Sam explains: “I identified the drain was the source of the problem. I arranged for drainage work to be carried out and installed a one-way valve. We also blocked of any open vents and cemented over areas that had previously been filled with expanding foam.
“It was lucky that we were called in when we were as the café and storage area could easily have been contaminated by the rats, potentially leading to serious health hazards."